The Woman on the Beast 1 UDB One of the seven angels, who had one of the seven bowls, came to me and said, "Come with me and I will show you how God will punish the prostitute, the woman who represents the city in which there are many canals of water. BSB BSB: Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
2 UDB The kings of the earth have acted immorally and idolatrously with her. The people on the earth acted immorally in the same way. It was as if they had gotten drunk on wine that she gave them." BSB BSB: The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
3 UDB Then God's Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me away to a desolate area. There I saw a woman who was sitting on a red beast. The beast had written names all over itself. They were names that insulted God. The beast had seven heads and ten horns. BSB BSB: And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
4 UDB The woman was wearing purple and red clothes. She had jewelry of gold, precious stones, and pearls; she held in her hand a golden cup. The cup was full of something to drink that stands for the detestable and filthy things that she does when she commits sexual immorality. BSB BSB: The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
5 UDB There was a name written on her forehead—a name with a secret meaning. It is "This woman is Babylon, the very evil city! She is the mother of all the prostitutes on the earth. She teaches them to do all the detestable things in the world." BSB BSB: And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
The Mystery Explained 6 UDB I saw that the woman had become drunk because she had drunk the blood of God's people, those who had suffered for proclaiming the truth about Jesus. When I saw her, I was completely amazed. BSB BSB: I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her.
7 UDB The angel said to me, "Do not be amazed. I will explain to you the hidden meaning of the woman and of the beast on which she rides, the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns. BSB BSB: “Why are you so amazed?” said the angel. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
8 UDB The beast that you saw lived previously. Eventually God will destroy him, but now he is not alive. He is about to come up from the shaft that went down but had no ending. When that beast appears again, the people on the earth will be amazed. They are people whose names have not been written in the Book of Life before God created the world. BSB BSB: The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.
9 UDB People need to think wisely to understand this: The seven heads of the beast on which the woman sits symbolize the seven hills of the city that the woman represents. They also symbolize seven rulers. BSB BSB: This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
10 UDB Five of those rulers have died. One is still alive. The seventh ruler has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain for only a short time. BSB BSB: There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. But when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.
11 UDB The beast that lived before and then was not alive will be the eighth ruler. He is actually one of those seven rulers, but God will certainly destroy him. BSB BSB: The beast that was, and now is not, is an eighth king, who belongs to the other seven and is going into destruction.
12 UDB The ten horns that you saw represent ten rulers who have not yet begun to rule. They will receive authority in order to rule people together with the beast, but they will rule for only a short time, as if it were for only one hour. BSB BSB: The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings along with the beast.
13 UDB Those rulers will all agree to do the same thing. As a result they will give to the beast their right and authority to rule people. BSB BSB: These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast.
The Victory of the Lamb 14 UDB The rulers and the beast will fight against the Lamb. He will defeat them because he is the Lord who rules over all other lords and the King who rules over all other kings. The people who are with him are the ones whom God has chosen and called to himself and who keep serving him faithfully." BSB BSB: They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.”
15 UDB Then the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw in the city represent many different kinds of people, huge numbers of people, many nations, and people who speak many different languages, and that is where the prostitute sits. BSB BSB: Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
16 UDB The ten horns that you saw represent rulers. They and the beast will hate the prostitute. So they will take away everything that is in the city as if they were leaving it naked. They will destroy it as if devouring flesh, and they will burn it completely. BSB BSB: And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
17 UDB They will do that because God has caused them to decide to do what he wants them to do. As a result, they will let the beast have their power to rule until what God has said is fulfilled. BSB BSB: For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
18 UDB The prostitute that you saw represents the very evil city whose leaders rule over the kings of the earth." BSB BSB: And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.